A Traditional Boma in Zimbabwe

I attended a boma in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and it was one of the highlights of my time in Africa. A boma is a traditional dinner filled with food, dancing and music. It was quite similar to the Hawaiian lulu.

When we arrived, we were first greeted by a woman who handed us long colorful wraps that she tied into a dress by tying two ends up at one shoulder. We then were introduced to four singers and dancers, who performed and encouraged us to dance with them.

The dinner itself was in an open-air building with tables to the side, yellow and green lights and fun exciting music. It was a buffet style venue and the food provided was endless. They had salads, couscous, pasta, stews, freshly baked bread, fruit, a variety of meats, a whole roasted pork and many desserts. There was both traditional African food and western food to please any individual. They also had face painting, hair braiding and a witch doctor to do fortune telling.

My favorite part of the night was the performance. After everyone settled down and were on their dessert plate the dancers started to perform. The whole atmosphere of the boma was energetic, light hearted, and fun. After the dancing, the staff handed each person a timbale(drum) and the drummers came out and literally taught the audience how to play a song. The entire building seemed to be in rhythm with the main drummer. It was very interactive, and you could tell the performers were having a good time too. Lastly, acapella singers came around to each table and sang a beautiful song. The whole night was amazing, and I felt like the experience gave me a great understanding of the culture, food and people. I would recommend attending a Boma to anyone.